This invention relates to a twist drill which has a cutting insert bonded into a seat in the drill.
The life of a twist drill can be extended if it is provided with cutting inserts of very hard or abrasive material. It is known to provide a slot in the cutting end of the drill, into which a cutting insert is located and bonded by brazing. The cutting edge or surface of such inserts may be made of diamond abrasive compact.
Because cutting inserts of this kind are very hard, it is usually very difficult to reshape the flute geometry of the twist drill after the insert has been brazed into place. It would be desirable to minimise the amount of machining required to obtain the desired cutting edge and flute geometry after the insert has been fixed to the twist drill.